


Fortune Teller

by apolla



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Don't take it too seriously, F/M, Gen, Humor, Planet Naboo (Star Wars), Senator Ben Solo, The Force, based on an entirely random song on itunes shuffle, ben solo doesn't have the force, rey the fortune teller, the Force is a massive troll sometimes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-26
Updated: 2016-07-26
Packaged: 2018-07-27 00:12:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7595731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apolla/pseuds/apolla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Force-numb Senator Ben Organa arrives on Naboo as part of a political tour of the galaxy.</p><p>During a festival held in his honour, a Fortune Teller tells him he'll fall in love with the next woman he sees... but what happens when he doesn't then see another living soul all night?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fortune Teller

He had not been to Naboo since he was a small boy, yet the unmistakable scent of the planet’s native flora was still familiar to Senator Ben Organa as he stepped off the ship from Hosnian Prime. After a rough journey, the smell tickled his nose in a pleasing sort of way, reminding him of a family holiday that involved a broken-down speeder, too much ice cream and an unexpected dunking in a lake.

It was a warm and sunny day, and he immediately started to sweat under his dark, heavy robes. He was greeted by the Governor, a squat fellow in every sense: even his nose was squashed and his smile was as thick as it was wide. He wore the ornate and elegant fashions of Naboo, although it was less flattering to such a fellow to wear yards and yards of saffron yellow than it might be on others. Ben tried and failed to be more tolerant, but he was Padme Amidala’s grandson and had high standards when it came to fashion.

‘Senator, it is an honour to welcome you to Naboo.’

‘Thank you, Governor… Ryswole.’ Inwardly, he felt the relief of remembering the name in time.

‘Ryswell,’ the Governor corrected with a flourish of his thick, wide hair-do. ‘But close.’

‘My apologies. I have been travelling for some time.’ A yawn forced its way out of his throat for good measure.

‘Yes, yes. We have heard all about your Great Progress.’

Ben fought the urge to roll his eyes. Damn the press and their insistence on making him some kind of galactic celebrity. The Alderaanians-Without might have made him their senator, but there were those who would see him treated more as a prince, and he wished they would not.

He schooled himself into a polite attitude. ‘That’s what the holonews calls it. I’m really just on a fact-finding mission.’

‘Must be nice to travel so much.’

‘Tiring, but interesting.’

‘Indeed. On that note, we have arranged for you to have a suite of rooms in the Royal Palace, and of course Queen Elisabeta will formally greet you this evening.’

‘Just so.’

‘We have arranged a varied itinerary for your visit with us. There’ll be visits to…’

Ben tuned him out. He knew the itinerary. It would take in all the great sights of Naboo, all places he’d seen as a boy and knew from a thousand dreams since. He had once stood and witness his grandparents’ wedding in the Lake Country, so any tourist trip was unlikely to stand up to such high standards.

It took all his lifelong diplomatic training to feign interest as the Governor prattled on while they made their way from the spaceport, onto a fancy barge that sped them through the air over Theed and into the great courtyard of the Royal Palace.

Queen Elisabeta was a distant relation, but as most of Naboo claimed some relation to beloved Queen Amidala, this was not uncommon. She did have a familiarly regal bearing and the same richly chestnut hair as Padme and his own mother Leia. Indeed, the Queen was a beautiful young woman whose keen green eyes saw everything. Ben knew she was nearly 18 years old and so reaching the end of her Queenship.

‘Senator Organa, it is a distinct honour.’ She held a hand out as he knelt in greeting, and he kissed it per custom.

He stood then. ‘I thought we were not meeting until later?’

‘I wanted to greet you informally first. Before all that nonsense.’ She spoke and walked briskly into the grand Palace vestibule. ‘Thank you Governor, I’m sure you’re very busy.’

Governor Ryswell had no choice but to excuse himself then, mumbling about his many tasks of State. He left them, shoes clicking against the pink and green marble flood.

Elisabeta smirked when he was gone. ‘I love that man like an uncle – mostly because he is – but he can be a bit much. How was your journey?’

‘Rough.’

‘I’m sorry to hear that. Let me show you to your rooms so you can rest.’

‘Thank you.’

She was much shorter than him – most people were – and yet had no problem keeping pace with him. ‘You don’t have to bother with whatever ridiculous itinerary my uncle has planned. Still, Naboo is in its prettiest season at the moment so you really should see the Low Country and the Lake Country if you can. How long are you intending to stay?’

‘Two days. I must go to Tatooine from here.’

‘Appropriate.’

‘My mother thought so. Anyway, there are Hutt issues-‘

‘When are there not Hutt issues?’

‘Quite so. Two days, but nothing is ever truly fixed. I might need to leave tomorrow.’

‘Or you might prefer to stay longer. You really should.’ She fluttered her eyelashes then, although for once Ben couldn’t tell if it was intended to catch his attention or not. ‘In the meantime, these are your rooms. If you need anything, there’s a droid at your service for the duration of your stay.’

‘Thank you, Your Majesty.’ He bowed slightly and watched as she bounded away.

Most women he encountered wanted something from him. He was a senator, he was Leia Organa’s son, he was Han Solo’s son. He was Padme Amidala and Anakin Skywalker’s grandson. He was nephew to Master Luke of the New Jedi School. He was also unquestionably a handsome young man with charm and charisma in his own right.

Elisabeta had displayed a number of the usual ploys, yet he did not feel that she was making any attempt to seduce him, whether for personal or political gain. Extraordinary, or an astute move?

His rooms were light, airy and very well appointed in richly coloured purple and silver silks. The floor was shining white marble and he kicked off his heavy boots to feel the cool stone underfoot. Silver gauze curtains swirled in a light breeze that cooled him as he peeled off his heavy robes. A large bed took pride of place in the room, covered in the same purple and silver silks as the rest of the room, it was soft and inviting. Oh how tired he was-

The droid mentioned by the Queen came in: ‘Senator Organa, it is an honour to serve you.’

It was unnervingly similar to C-3PO, although where Threepio was golden, this droid was silver-chrome and bore the royal crest of Naboo on its chestplate.

‘Thank you.’

‘I am SP-9, the Queen’s personal protocol droid. Whatever you wish, I am here to serve.’

‘Thank you, but I don’t need much. Perhaps a pitcher of ice water.’

‘It shall be done.’ The droid went away to arrange his request.

He was half-naked and half-asleep by the time SP-9 returned with a serving droid bearing a crystal pitcher of ice water flavoured with Naboo lemons.

‘Thank you,’ he mumbled. ‘Wake me in time to get ready for whatever is happening this evening.’

‘Ah, Senator Organa, it will be most excellent! The Queen has arranged a festival in honour of your visit. You will be formally greeted and then the festival! Oh, there are stalls of every possible sort for the entertainment of you and the other guests. Food and drink, and entertainment too! Oh, it shall be very jolly indeed!’

‘Thank you, SP-9. I look forward to it. Now, I must sleep.’

‘Of course, Senator.’ The droid pressed a button and the light in the room dimmed, those gauze curtains now transformed and blocking out the warm sunlight. Clever.

As soon as his head touched the soft pillow, Ben was fast asleep.

*

The Formal Greeting incorporated the most intricate of Naboo diplomatic protocol and, as they had decided to treat him as a visiting royal rather than merely a senator, he was required to meet every member of the Royal Council and a score more notables.

He thanked the Force that his mother had demanded he pack some formal clothes, if only so that he did not slight these people. He hated the stiff, high collar of his formal robes and the heaviness of the thick, midnight blue fabric, but the intricate silver embroidery and the elegant cut were match enough for even the frilliest Naboo costume.

Truly, Naboo itself exceeded any expectation: the entirety of Theed was decorated for the visit and the festival was even grander than SP-9 had suggested. There was a twenty-minute dance display by the Queen’s own ladies; several acting troupes presented short sketches of humour and pathos; two of Naboo’s best singers performed songs written in honour of his grandmother, who was still rightly lauded as the great liberator and protector of the Naboo and their Gungan neighbours alike.

The Queen led him into the streets lined with stalls of every sort. He tried sixteen different kinds of fish; nineteen different wines and ales until his head began to spin a little; all sorts of bread-and-cheese combinations, and finally some ice cream before his stomach demanded he stop being polite.

The Queen excused herself after a polite interval, and eventually he was left alone to wander the busy festival without escort. It was just as he wanted it. It was late, yet almost every citizen was still out and about, carousing and in all ways having a jolly good time. He unfastened the top buttons of his robe and by the time he’d seen most of the stalls, his coat was undone entirely, exposing the thin white shirt underneath.

He had seen everything, he thought, and started his way back towards the palace. A small tent, set a little distance away from the others, caught his eye. Purple and silver, like the decorations in his room, which may have been what caught his eye. A small sign outside declared: “FORTUNES TOLD, FUTURES MADE CLEAR. TOTALLY AUTHENTIC.”

Should he try it? It would be interesting to see what nonsense a fortune teller would give him. He pulled his coat off and rolled it up under his arm: if he was going to try having his fortune told, he wouldn’t make it easy by looking like a prince or senator.

He entered and the scent of Naboo flowers overwhelmed him. The tent was too small for a tall fellow like him to stand upright and he was required to stoop. The only light came from a small bronze lantern hanging from the centre of the tent. Dim, but warm and golden, comforting and soothing.

In the centre of the tent was a small round table, upon which sat a small bronze bowl of water. A robed figure sat at the table, hands splayed across the purple silk table top. Opposite: an empty, rickety wooden chair.

‘I’ve been waiting for you,’ said the Fortune Teller, hidden from his view by the long hood of their robe. Indeed, the only visible part of the Fortune Teller was the pair of small hands on the table. The voice was high, girlish.

‘Of course you have,’ he retorted, sarcastic and cynical. When it came to the Force, he was of a mind with his father. It was likely the only thing he and Han Solo agreed on: _The Force was real, but it wasn’t the be all and end all of the universe._

‘Sit, Ben Solo.’

That gave him pause. Nobody called him Ben Solo. Even when his parents had lived on the same planet, he was Ben Organa. The announcement of his birth had been for ‘Ben Organa’ and he had been Ben Organa ever since, to everyone except his parents. Ben Solo was the name he was given at birth, and true names had power. Han Solo didn’t believe in the powers of the Force, but he agreed with his wife that the child would be safer known as Ben Organa. Leia had explained it to the world as a tribute to lost Bail and Breha, parents she had loved.

He sat down. The chair was too small for him, just like everything in the tent, including the tent itself. It creaked disturbingly, but held strong just the same.

The Fortune Teller grabbed at his hands and ran its thumbs across his palms and stretched out his fingers.

‘Big hands.’

‘Well, you know what they say-’

‘Humour, the last defence of the cynic and the uncertain. Which are you, Ben Solo?’

‘Hey!’

‘Oh…’ The Fortune Teller’s voice was awfully sad and pitying. ‘I am sorry, Ben.’

‘Sorry? What for?’

‘You had such potential in the Force. I understand why, but-’

‘I don’t have the Force. Never have.’

‘Is that what they told you?’ Hands waved across the water again.  ‘Yes, for your own good but… you could have been the most powerful Force adept the galaxy ever saw. If only… perhaps… you should not go to Tatooine, Ben. Instead, go to your Uncle. Ask to remember again.’

The air crackled with _something_.

‘Who are you?’ He used his most commanding voice, the one he’d learnt from _Princess_ Leia.

It had no impact. ‘I am a Fortune Teller.’

‘No such thing.’

‘I am indeed. The Force is many things to many people. It is everything, indeed. The be all and the end all of the universe. The Force is All Things To All People.’

He snatched his hands away. The Teller raised their head and the robe fell away a little. It was a young woman, of all the people. She was nothing particularly special to look at, but her gaze was arresting, and he could not look away.

‘Ben Solo, you really ought to listen to me. I am not your enemy. The truth is not your enemy. Please. Let me finish the reading. You came to me, remember. _You_ came to _me_.’

‘Fine.’ He reached out again.

She ran a finger along one of the lines of his left hand. ‘You had several pathways, you know. One of ultimate good; one of terrible darkness; and this path you find yourself on… the choices made for you have shaped the galaxy.’

He had enough ego to be flattered by this. He was important to the galaxy, everyone knew that, but it was nice to be told he shaped it.

The Fortune Teller chuckled then. ‘And yes, your arrogance shapes you. There are always many paths for us all to take and our choices define us but you… the choice was not yours. That is a shame. Yes, you must go to your Uncle. It is time and you are strong enough.’

She released his hands only long enough to dip her own fingertips into the bowl of water. She dripped beads of water onto his palms and he watched as the water shimmered and rolled along his skin.

‘A great love is coming for you, Ben Solo. She will steal your heart without trying; without even knowing it herself; she will stand beside you while you reshape your destiny. There is a question, however, always the question of whether you choose the light or the dark. That is the Skywalker way. Choose wisely Ben Solo.’

‘Choose?’ he asked, still thinking about the unknown woman.

‘You hold unspeakable power in you. The galaxy will rise ever higher or fall into deathly chaos on your choice. Be thoughtful, be wise and always remember that Anakin Skywalker was intended to bring balance to the Force.’

‘The woman-’

‘Ah,’ she chuckled. ‘They always want to know about romance. Well… it is not all clear to me, but you are on the cusp… Yes, I think she will be the next woman you meet. Be well, Ben Solo.’

She released his hands then, and turned away from him.

‘Do I… how do I pay?’

She was gone then, through a flap in the back of the tent. He left then, only to be accosted by a very large pink-faced creature. He towered over Ben – a novelty on its own – but was three or four times as broad.

‘One hundred credits.’

‘Are you joking?’

‘Do I look like I’m joking?’

Ben scowled and handed over the credits. The Crolute grunted a thanks of sorts and left him alone.

More time than expected had passed: the festival had wound down while he was in the tent and the streets were strangely empty of life as he made his way back to the Palace. There was a chill in the air, the kind that only the darkest hours of sleep could make. He kept an eye out for any possible woman, but he saw no one.

He fell asleep still dressed, but his sleep was haunted. It was the first time he’d had a dream like it in years: a vivid imagining of a life with the Force as a masked assassin of sorts, as Master of a group he could not see but instinctively feared, and then it mercifully morphed into an altogether different sort of dream in which his great love was no further away from him than the pillow upon which he slept. She was intoxicating, powerful and filled him with the greatest desire-

He awoke when dawn was still breaking, breathing heavily and slick with sweat. He needed to find this woman before he went mad. Ben remembered to shower, and eat from the tray SP-9 provided, but refused to be further delayed. He was going to have words with that charlatan fortune teller!

The early morning was as quiet as the late night. Perhaps everyone was nursing hangovers? Impatience gave way to anger as he considered he’d been made a fool of. Resolving to demand answers from the Fortune Teller, he marched through the streets, empty but for the stalls and the occasional tabby cat.

The tent was open but empty. He stood there uselessly a moment, wondering what in all the systems he could _do_ , when a movement caught his eye behind the tent. He stepped through into what turned out to be a small courtyard full of boxes and kegs.

The Fortune Teller was carrying a large bag across the yard to a small speeder. Leaving. Disappearing.

‘You!’ he yelled.

She turned and her eyes widened. He smirked, pleased to have caught this charlatan in the act of scurrying away like the rat she was-

She dropped the bag and it hit the ground with a thump. Her hand went to her mouth. ‘Oh!’

‘You lied to me, you said- you said I’d-‘ He glared as she stared at him without apology.

‘Oh, the Force is such a _bitch_ sometimes,’ she cried back, as if she’d solved a frustrating riddle.

‘Hang the Force! You lied to me! Why? Was it to get credits out of me? Make a fool of the stupid senator and his loneliness-‘

Hang on, where had that come from? He was honing in on her, boxing her in against the speeder.

‘I didn’t know! Truly, I didn’t. I don’t control the readings, really I don’t. I didn’t lie to you… I just didn’t realise…’ She had nowhere to go, unless she could slip away from him.

‘Didn’t realise what? That I’d come back? That I’d find you in the act of running away? That you’re the one I’ve been looking for- that- what did I just say?’

‘You need to take a deep breath,’ she said. ‘Close your eyes and take a deep breath and _feel_ the Force.’

‘Don’t tell me what to do!’ he huffed. But, he did close his eyes and he did take a deep breath. And then he took another breath, and another.

He felt _The Force_. It was tingling at his fingertips like an old friend. He knew the Force after all. It was there, as it always had been, waiting for him. He opened his eyes.

She was no different to yesterday. She was not suddenly transformed. Indeed, out of her ridiculous robe she appeared quite ordinary. Her beige trousers and tunic were intended to blend in. Her rich dark hair was pulled back off her face in three small buns. She wanted to be invisible…

She could never be invisible to _him_. He saw her, inside and out, and she was magnificent. Her soul shone with light that called to him as surely as if it were screaming his name.

‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered. ‘I didn’t know either, until you came here.’

‘Know what?’

‘I’m formed for you, and you for me.’

‘Oh. _Oh_ …’ he smiled, and although they did not know each other yet, he had every confidence that they would, and all would be well. ‘Did you mean it?’

‘I meant it all, but what in particular?’

‘About me shaping the galaxy?’

‘Yes. You must go to your Uncle. Please…’ Tears gleamed in her eyes. ‘Please don’t go to Tatooine. If you go to Tatooine you’ll be lost forever.’

‘Lost?’

‘To the Dark Side. Please… please go to Luke. He’s on Yavin IV at the moment.’

‘How could you possibly know that?’

‘The Force.’

‘Of course.’

‘Please believe me, Ben. The Force wanted you here, wanted me to see you. We were supposed to go to Coruscant-‘

‘We?’

‘My… guardian and I.’

‘Guardian?’

‘Unkar Plutt… he…’

‘I’m only going to Yavin IV if you come with me.’

‘I can’t-‘

‘Of course you can. What does the Force tell you?’

She closed her eyes a moment. ‘It tells you to duck.’

‘What?’

‘Duck!’

He did, just in time to avoid Unkar Plutt’s fist. He kicked out, catching Plutt at the ankles. Plutt hit the ground, landing in a loud smulch of flesh and dirt, and remained there quite entirely unconscious.

Ben took several deep breaths and felt the Force swirl around him. Oh, _the Force_ … where had it been all his life?

‘What’s your name?’ he asked, feeling a fool for not asking until now.

‘Rey.’

‘Rey what?’

‘Just Rey.’

‘What brought you to Naboo?’

‘I had a… vision, you might call it.’

‘Who is this fellow to you?’

‘My guardian.’

‘What?’

‘Long story. We were going to Coruscant, like I said. He wanted to take advantage of my fortune telling… I had a vision to come here, now, for the festival. Now I know why. The Force wanted me here so we would meet and I could warn you.’

‘Don’t go to Tatooine?’

‘Exactly.’

‘What will happen if I do? You said the Dark Side-‘

‘You go to Tatooine, you’ll be lost. Everything your parents sacrificed to keep you safe will be for nothing.’

‘What did they sacrifice? For _me_?’

‘I do not know the specifics.’

‘And if I go to Yavin IV, it will be good?’

‘It will be better.’

‘I’ll train to become Jedi?’

‘You’ll train, but you’ll never be a Jedi.’

Several deeper breaths then, to take a moment and consider that. Once, he’d wanted nothing more than to be a Jedi like Uncle Luke. He wanted the Force… he did not want to be a Jedi.

‘Very well. So if I go to Yavin IV, will you come with me?’

‘I don’t know. The Force conceals from me my own future.’

‘No, I meant it as an invitation. Will you come with me?’

‘Oh.’ She closed her eyes then, and he could almost _feel_ her meditating. When her eyes opened, they were wide, bright and for a moment he was caught in the hazel brilliance. ‘Yes, I will.’

‘Very well.’ He held his hand out to her. ‘Come on, then.’

‘Now?’

‘No time like the present.’ He smiled his best Solo smile at her and she accepted his hand.

*

Queen Elizabeta was put out to hear Ben would be leaving directly, but not nearly so much as the Governor was at having his opportunity to show off Naboo dashed.

‘Your hospitality has been some of the finest in the galaxy,’ Senator Organa told them. ‘I would not leave so soon, but I must go to my uncle directly.’

He made no mention of his new acquaintance, nor that she would be coming with him. In fact, until he saw her stood waiting by his ship, Ben half-believed she would not come or that she would have disappeared.

That idea made his heart clench painfully. If she disappeared, he would go after her. He knew _that_ with a certainty that scared him. He was not usually so single-minded or determined, and certainly not about a total stranger.

Not a total stranger. Not quite.

His pilot was still half-drunk from the festival, so Ben took the controls himself. Rey sat in the co-pilot chair, watching keenly.

‘I always wanted to fly,’ she said, leaning forward almost into his face, apparently revealing a long-held dream.

‘Then I will teach you, when we get to Yavin IV.’

‘Are you a good pilot?’

‘I’m pretty good. I also had a great teacher.’

‘Really?’

‘Han Solo.’

‘Oh!’ She giggled, a sound which warmed him from tip to toe. ‘Of course!’

‘How much do you know about me?’ he asked.

‘As much as the Force tells me. Not much detail. Feelings, senses… you’ve been very lonely for a very long time.’

Ben’s fingers gripped the wheel. ‘I wouldn’t say that-‘

‘Say it? No. Feeling it is different. I’m sorry, Ben.’

‘Don’t pity me.’

‘I’m not pitying you! I’m saying… I know how you feel! I was left on Jakku when I was five years old and I will _never_ know who my family is. The Force won’t reveal it, no matter how hard I try.’

‘I’m sorry. We… we don’t know each other very well, but I feel like…’

‘Like we have known each other for our whole lives, and for all the lives before it?’

‘Something like that.’

‘That’s the Force.’

‘A fortune teller told me last night that I’d fall in love with the next woman I saw.’

She smiled a little. ‘I know.’

‘I didn’t see any other woman until I saw you, again.’

‘I know that too.’

‘So…’

‘Love is not instant, Ben Solo. You do not love me now.’

‘But I will?’

‘That is what the Force tells me.’

‘Is that dependent on whether I go to Yavin or Tatooine?’

Rey did not respond at first, then shook her head.

Ben could not resist injecting a little levity into the moment: ‘So does this mean now I’ll get my fortune told for free?’

Rey leaned over and cuffed him lightly around the head. ‘Maybe.’

*

**Author's Note:**

> This is an entirely silly thing I scribbled down having heard the Plant/Krauss version of the Allen Toussaint song 'Fortune Teller'. The song has one of my favourite punchlines in music.
> 
> You can find info here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortune_Teller_(song) and I also recommend the Rolling Stones' version of the song too as much as Plant/Krauss or the original by Toussaint.
> 
> It's not supposed to be taken seriously but if you liked it or you want to say something about it, don't be shy!


End file.
